Flowers That Keep Wasps & Hornets Out

Written by erin moonyeen haley| 13/05/2017

Wasps and hornets can ruin a garden's relaxing ambience. (wasp image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com)

Pests such as bees, mosquitoes, hornets and wasps can turn a homeowner's garden into an endless maintenance project. Instead of chasing down insects with sprays or worrying about pesticides, planting certain flowers and herbs can keep wasps and hornets away before a single flower blooms.

Marigolds

Not only do marigolds ward off white flies and the nematode worm, but they are also natural hornet and wasp repellents. According to the Dollar Stretcher, the natural perfume of the marigold repulses insects. Marigolds are also beneficial in vegetable gardens as they deter cucumber beetles from munching on tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and pumpkins. Marigolds attract critters such as ladybirds that nurture a garden.

Wormwood

Wormwood is most effective when planted around a garden's border. (garden rock border image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com)

Also called Artemisia, wormwood is an antiseptic herb, meaning that it its chemical composition enables it to stave off infection. Wormwood should be planted around a garden's border to keep wasps at bay, according to Luv 2 Garden. In addition to planting live wormwood, dried wormwood leaves are also an option. Wormwood is especially potent against wasps when intermixed with mint and lemon grass. In addition to hornets, wormwood is effective at keeping fleas, flies and moths away.

Mint

Whether fresh or dried, mint leaves help to keep wasps and hornets away. (mint image by Lytse from Fotolia.com)

Mint is another wasp repellent. You can integrate it into the garden in three ways. Plant mint itself; brew mint-flavoured tea, let the teabags dry and tuck them amid the plants; or take crushed mint leaves and sprinkle them on top of the soil. Mint has proven so effective that it is an ingredient in insect-killing sprays. Mint is also effective in ridding a house and garden of ants.